The scroller proves itself as a powerful mobile advertising format

Given the speedy growth in mobile advertising, marketers and brands continue to redefine the experience for the end user trialling various mobile advertising concepts. To that end, the mobile scroller has seen wide adoption among publishers as it allows for a smoother integration with the content and screen. The scroller can’t be overlooked.

The scroller is a large canvas format, but because it runs within a site’s feed it doesn’t block the content underneath. Celtra which partnered with IAB to produce the report defines scrollers as providing a more natural way to view and dismiss an ad through swiping; offering room for creative storytelling and putting the creative in the center of attention without intrusion.

To test the format, the firms used the Celtra interscroller to build a scroller and PadSquad produced a scroller ad using the Schick Hydro, a razor made by Edgewell Personal Care.

Millward Brown Digital conducted the brand study across a series of consumers who each saw one of four ads featuring the creative. The survey asked about awareness, brand favourability as well as messaging comparing scroller ads to banners.

The study found that the scroller worked well, boosting category awareness by 26% and increasing brand awareness to almost 10%. Respondents who viewed the scroller ads were 17% more likely to perceive ads as distinctive. Another 13% said they actually enjoyed the scroller ad.

Overall, the format was viewed as less intrusive than banners. 35% also commented positively on the way they ad revealed itself.

Millennials responded on average more strongly to the scrolled ad (44%), compared to 31% of 35-year olds.

Both men and women showed increases in category awareness. However, females noted a larger brand awareness, whilst men commented more on the scroller’s look and feel. Men were also responding more positively to the way the ads revealed themselves.

When comparing Schick users to non-users, the research found that non-Schick users drove bigger increases when considering creative features.

“Digital visitors are devoting more of their time to mobile content and marketers are following those consumers to mobile with their branding efforts accordingly, but face challenges to have real message impact on smaller screens without annoying those they’re trying hard to impress. Similarly, publishers now face a mobile-first market in which their advertising revenue success hinges on monetizing mobile traffic, again without annoying the users they try very hard to attract. We use technology to load ads quickly in a way that impresses the consumer. We have seen great results for marketers and publishers.”